The Case for Plant Proteins in Southern Africa…lentils

H. A. Pswarayi

University of Nottingham

Problem: Sick Food Systems

  • Deficient in protein, micro-nutrients:
    • MAPS project, and Geonutrition studies.
  • Low crop productivity
    • acidic soils, and poor soil fertility.
  • Government policies
    • promoting tobacco and staple maize,
    • leading to increased rural poverty,
    • due to lack of profitable alternatives.
  • Climate change
    • Southern Africa particularly vulnerable,
    • to increased drought frequencies.

A Strategic Solution…lentils

  • lentils, most efficient for supplying the deficient nutrients
    • because cheapest to grow and buy (MAPS simulation)
  • lentils are a strategic:
    • because of multiple attributes
    • that can cure the sickness of the food systems

Lentils improve human health…

  • They are nutritious:
    • rich in protein,
    • rich in complex carbohydrates,
    • rich in minerals: K, Mg, Fe, Se, folate, Ca, P, Zn
    • richest in fiber, good for digestion, insulin regulation

Lentils improve soil health

  • lentils encourage good soil husbandry
  • by encouraging farmers to ameliorate soil acidity,
    • because lentils are very sensitive to acidic soils

Acidic Soils (pH 3.6)…severe stunting

Acidic Soils (pH 3.6)…susceptible to drought

Lentils are water efficient…

  • lentil crops require minimal rainfall
    • about 300 - 500 mm, annually
    • compared to maize that require about double
  • hence, lentils adapt better to shortening of rainfall seasons by climate change

Lentils reduce domestic energy consumption…

  • Because they cook in 10-30 minutes,
    • which saves energy,
    • and reduces deforestation,
  • Firewood, a primary source of domestic energy in southern Africa
    • due to low generation capacity of electricity
    • and a large, and poor rural population

Lentils improve animal health…

  • Because lentil stover is:
    • more palatable,
    • higher in digestibility,
    • nutrients: protein, Ca, and P,
    • and is better than cereal stover.

Lentils and gender…

  • lentils require minimum inputs
    • ideal for poor female headed households
  • lentils are less complicated grow
    • therefore, ideal for illiterate women/widowed households
  • lentils cook quickly
    • therefore less firewood collection
    • which affords women rest time
    • and time with children

Lentils and intercropping…

  • lentils can be inter cropped with cereals
    • raising land productivity
    • especially for small land holdings
  • lentil inter crops benefit cereals
    • because lentils fix nitrogen
    • which will be utilized by the cereals

Lentils, a profitable cash crop…

  • Lentils have a multi-billion pound (£) international market
    • major consumers in south Asia (e.g., India)
    • where lentils are integral to daily diets
  • Canada, the largest producer, and exporter
    • mainly by large-scale prairie farmers
  • India, the second largest producer
    • mainly by small-holder farmers

Introducing lentils into Southern Africa…

  • A holistic approach

A Food Systems Approach…

  • A focus on production, consumption, marketing, storage:
  • Production:
    • developing/evaluating varieties, learning agronomy
  • Consumption:
    • innovating and promoting lentil dishes
  • Marketing:
    • developing local and international markets
  • Storage: ensuring product quality

The Multiple Disciplines…

  • Plant breeders, agronomists, soil scientists,
  • nutritionists, public health, extensionists,
  • Post-harvest scientists, plant protection,
  • Sociologists, Statisticians, agricultural engineers,
  • Economists, marketing, Trade,
  • Farmers, households, NGOs, policy makers.

Project status…

  • The journey began in Malawi, in 2023/4 cropping season
  • with stakeholder engagement
  • and 3 pilot trials, in 3 environments,
    • to identify future breeding materials,
    • to identify suitable environments,
    • to learn lentil agronomy

Identifying future breeding materials…

  • Evaluating 570 accessions from ICARDA:
  • For traits of interest:
    • drought tolerance
    • heat resistance
    • high yield
    • disease and pest resistance
    • early maturity

Trials…planting

Trials…crop emergence

Trials…happy lentils

Trials…happy lentils

Trials…happy lentils

Trials…seed from trial!

Engaging Stakeholders…our partners

  • First stakeholders workshop held in February, 2024:
  • with government research scientists, and others:
    • plant breeders, soil scientists, agronomists
    • trade officials, nutritionists
  • and academia:
    • plant breeders, agronomists, nutritionists
  • They are the future owners of the project

With Stakeholders…planning

Stakholders’ Workshop…very first!

The Stakholders…the team

The Future…

  • Immediate: evaluate, multiply lines, agronomy,
  • Medium: innovate, promote lentil dishes, crops, evaluate, agronomy
  • Long term: promote culture of rotations and lentil diets,
  • sociology studies: barriers to change,
  • economic studies: lentils and farmers’ economy,
  • soil studies: lentils and soil fertility,
  • nutrition studies: lentils and population health.

A Long journey…of a thousand partners, publications

  • Zikomo kwambili, Terima kasih
  • Siyabonga, Asante
  • Mazviita, Grazie, Obrigado
  • Twatotela, Tak, Xiexie
  • Thank you, Dhanyavaad
  • Gracias, Danke, Спасибо
  • Diolch, Merci, Arigato.